After the best first date ever, Lee thought Laura was funny, intelligent, and impulsive; a whirlwind of bright laughter and happiness. Laura loved Lee's sweet smile and the way he expertly filled in every awkward pause. He held her hand and then pulled her in for the most perfect kiss she’s had in years. What could possibly be wrong? Just the 7000 miles that separates them the next day.

Even though Lee has gone home to Seoul, Laura can't stop thinking about him. What starts as an innocent text thanking him for their dinner date becomes something much more: someone either of them can't live without. But Laura's got a live-in mother going through a midlife crisis, and Lee's stressful traveling schedule means they'll be apart for some time. Life, family, and a complicated past also get in the way, and they're both going to need actual face time to figure it out.

Told from both Lee and Laura’s point of view, FACE TIME is a funny, romantic, modern-day story about two people who connect across the world.

Review:

I loved the whole concept of Face Time. I haven’t really read that many books focusing on long-distance relationships and especially with the contact between Laura and Lee being through technology, I believe that SJ Pajonas has written a great contemporary romance.

I wasn’t instantly drawn to the relationship between Laura and Lee. With their first meeting, I did think their dialogue and chemistry seemed a bit forced. But it didn’t take me too long to change my opinion as the alternative chapters for the main characters slowly developed their feelings and made me believe it more. Both Laura and Lee were likeable, real characters who were easy relatable. They each had their own issues and things to work through and I think the plot in Face Time is a real winner for the author because there’s so much for people to relate to.

The romance was really original and enjoyable. I thought all the Face Time-ing might have been a bit repetitive but it wasn’t at all. Each scene was different and the other characters all added to the plot too. Nicole was probably my favourite side-character but I thought they all had their own appeal.

Face Time was really entertaining and written very well. As soon as the moment came that I could root for Laura and Lee, the story flowed easily and it was captivating learning about the characters and seeing their stories and feelings grow. SJ Pajonas wrote a lovely modern romance and is an author I’ll be looking out for more from.

S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian and has been in love with Japan and the East for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over fifteen years. She studied film and screenwriting first and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job.

Face Time is the first novel in the Love in the Digital Age series, and Pajonas’s first foray into Korean culture and families. Along with Removed and Released in the Nogiku Series, she continues to take the cultures of Asia and weave them into stories that appeal to people from around the world. Her writing is described as unique and unpredictable. Expect the unexpected.

Stephanie lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.